Dumfries and Galloway Council
“Aileen gave us a final comprehensive and costed Brand, Marketing and Communications Strategy and phased approach that means we will be realistic and very specific in how we can truly transform our Council communications and marketing strategy.”
Michael Shepley MSc BSc (Hons) Chartered MCIPD, Head of People and Transformation
Brief
Brought in to lead short-term project to deliver strategic and functional transformation of comms and marketing approach, to facilitate modern multi-channel communication. Objective was to develop a balanced communications and marketing strategy, with a strong focus on cultural change and digital transformation, performance improvement. Also to review and improve functional planning and processes and recommend transformative solutions.
Achievements
- Devised and executed stakeholder insight programme to identify challenges/business requirements, directly interviewing 17 people and surveying a further 7 across four different cohorts.
- Analysed responses from semantic perspective through a marketing and communications lens, to identify and categorise the types of issues that bubbled up into 10 high-level themes.
- Created gap analysis between current and desired state to form key recommendations and feed into design of sustainable strategic solutions.
- Delivered two PowerPoint decks sharing insight findings and key recommendations and full Insight Programme report in Word (59pp).
- Created full brand, marketing, and communications strategy in Word (32pp) supported by toolkit of appendices (recommended phased workstreams, service redesign, indicative costings) to transform service into centre of excellence in 18 months.
- Designed new Marketing and Communications manager role, designed to address key challenges and outlined written exercise and themed questions for candidates. Also participated in interview panel.
Final outcomes
Delivered transformational blueprint for new centre of excellence to support DGC corporate strategy with a far more modern approach and external focus on regional economy.
“As part of Dumfries and Galloway Council’s commitment to clearer and more outward-facing communications, a six-month piece of consultancy work was undertaken to identify transformative solutions for communications and marketing.
“Aileen worked across stakeholder groups in setting an aspirational tone starting at the top, working with the Senior Leadership and Elected Members.
“A quick, out-of-the-gate approach into a series of interviews, assessments and big picture thinking from Aileen allowed for early engagement across key stakeholders (including comms, graphics, and digital colleagues). It also led to faster ways of unlocking stakeholders’ ideas.
“Aileen drew on her depth and breadth of experience in Marketing & Communications to deliver a thorough and in-depth piece of research and a set of strategic goals that will help us to future proof the Council.
“Her insights work, and analysis was instrumental in helping us to understand the messaging around the need to develop a transformation story to create lasting connection to the change we want to see.
“Aileen gave us a final comprehensive and costed Brand, Marketing and Communications Strategy and phased approach that means we will be realistic and very specific in how we can truly transform our Council communications and marketing strategy for the benefit of all our staff, residents, small businesses, and communities in this part of Scotland.
“If you have similar challenges to ours, then I would have no hesitation in recommending Aileen Caskie to you in support of achieving your communication and marketing vision through not only your workforce but your organisation as a whole.”